Golf club head with multi-radius face

• US 6,454,664 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Mase, G. Thomas, Long, D. Clayton
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US09/721,670
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/345, 473/346, 473/342, 473/349, 473/350, 473/330, 473/331, 473/288, 473/290, 473/291
• US Class Current: 473/330
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A metal wood golf club head adapted for attachment to a shaft is disclosed, including a shell defining an inner cavity and further including a face. The face of the club head has at least two roll radii disposed adjacent each other and defined about an alignment line on the face that extends from the heel end to the toe end. The roll radius above the alignment line is smaller than the roll radius below the alignment line. The face may also include multiple bulge radii.

Claims

1. A metal wood golf club head adapted for attachment to a shaft comprising:

a shell defining an inner cavity and further including a face,

wherein the face has at least two roll radii disposed adjacent each other and defined about a horizontal line proximate the center of the face, with a first roll radius above the line and a second roll radius below the line;

wherein the first roll radius is less than about seventy percent of the second roll radius, and

wherein the second roll radius is between about 8 inches and about 16 inches.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first roll radius is between about 4 inches and about 12 inches.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first roll radius is about 6 inches.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the second roll radius is about 10 inches.

5. A metal wood golf club head adapted for attachment to a shaft comprising:

a shell defining an inner cavity and further including a face,

wherein the face has at least two roll radii disposed adjacent each other and defined about an alignment line on the face that extends from the heel end to the toe end;

wherein a first roll radius above the alignment line is smaller than a second roll radius below the alignment line; and

wherein the second roll radius is between about 8 inches and about 16 inches.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein a first roll radius above the alignment line is less than about seventy percent of a second roll radius below the alignment line.

7. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the first roll radius is between about 4 inches and about 12 inches.

8. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the first roll radius is about 6 inches and the second roll radius is about 10 inches.

9. A metal wood golf club head adapted for attachment to a shaft comprising:

a shell defining an inner cavity and further including a face,

wherein the face has at least two roll radii and at least two bulge radii, the roll radii disposed adjacent each other and defined about an alignment line on the face extending from the heel end to the toe end

wherein the face includes a first roll radius above the alignment line and a second roll radius below the alignment line, the first roll radius being smaller than the second roll radius; and

wherein the second roll radius is between about 8 inches and about 16 inches.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the first roll radius is less than about seventy percent of the second roll radius.

11. A metal wood golf club head adapted for attachment to a shaft comprising:

a shell defining an inner cavity and further including a face, the face having a vertical center line proximate the center of the face and a horizontal center line proximate the center of the face, a toe-side alignment line parallel to the vertical center line and disposed about half-way between a toe region of the shell and the vertical alignment line, and a heel-side alignment line parallel to the vertical center line and disposed about half-way between a heel region of the shell and the vertical alignment line, the face having a central region with a first bulge radius between the toe-side and heel-side alignment lines, and the face having peripheral regions adjacent the central region,

wherein the first bulge radius of the central region of the face is substantially larger than the bulge radius of the peripheral regions of the face; and

wherein the bulge radius of the peripheral regions of the face is about 10% to about 40% smaller than the first bulge radius,

wherein the face has at least two roll radii disposed adjacent each other and defined about an alignment line on the face that extends from the heel end to the toe end,

wherein a first roll radius above the alignment line is smaller than a second roll radius below the alignment line, and

wherein the second roll radius is between about 8 inches and about 16 inches.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the alignment line and the horizontal center line are collinear.